Adaptable nozzle attachment for pool cleaner

ABSTRACT

An adjustable nozzle attachment for a pool cleaner includes a planar member having an upper surface and a lower surface with an orifice formed through the planar member adapted for coupling to a vacuum suction source. A plurality of attaching means are formed on the lower surface of the planar member, each of which is adapted to interchangeably or selectively receive at least one of a plurality of rollers and a plurality of brushes that extend from the lower surface and support the nozzle attachment during movement over a surface being cleaned. When installed, the plurality of rollers and brushes change the nozzle attachment&#39;s flexibility characteristics, thereby permitting a user to adjust the overall flexibility of the nozzle attachment, based upon the type of surface to be cleaned.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to apparatus for cleaning submergedsurfaces of swimming pools, hot tubs and spas. More specifically, thepresent invention relates to an adaptable nozzle attachment for aswimming pool cleaner.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Pool cleaning apparatus are known for passing over the surfaces of poolsto remove dirt and debris and to filter the pool water. Such poolcleaning apparatus are typically bulky. Lightweight and hand-held poolcleaners are advantageous because they allow a user to easily manipulatethe pool cleaner over the surfaces of a pool, spa or pond. Mechanicalpool cleaners which utilize the flow of water drawn through the cleanerby means of a connecting flexible suction hose in communication with afiltration system pump are well known.

In commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 6,797,157 to Erlich, a highlyportable hand-held pool cleaner is powered by rechargeable batteries andincludes a body and intake nozzle for suctioning pool water. A nozzleattachment includes a plurality of spaced brushes, which are used todislodge dirt and debris from the pool surface, thereby allowing thepool cleaner to suction up the dislodged debris. Alternatively, thenozzle attachment can include permanently fixed protrusions on a base toprevent the suctioning effect of the pool cleaner from causing the baseto be flush with the pool surfaces. However, such fixed protrusions donot roll, or may not easily slide along a surface, and can therebyimpede movement of the cleaner head.

Pool cleaners, such as professional pool cleaners, clean all types andshapes of pools having conventionally known surfaces. For example,swimming pool-surfaces may be formed with a gunite surface, a tilesurface, or a combination thereof. Above ground pools are fitted with avinyl liner, the surfaces of which are usually smooth and semi-flexible.The material gunite is a combination of sand and cement that covers aframework of an in-ground swimming pool. A gunite surface is usuallytextured and hard. Tile surfaces may be either smooth or textured, andwill have depressions formed between the tiles where a waterproof sealer(e.g., grout) is provided. The roughened gunite surface, and to someextent, tile surfaces can cause extreme wear to brushes and plasticparts of the cleaner head.

As the shapes, contours, and surfaces of each pool, hot tub, spa, orother container for retaining a volume of water that is used forrecreational or aesthetic purposes may vary, it may be more desirable touse one type of nozzle attachment over another for a particular type ofsurface and shape of a pool. To accommodate cleaning of the differenttypes of surfaces, many professional pool cleaners or consumers having,for example, multiple recreational and/or aesthetic water containers(e.g., pool and/hot tub) with differing surfaces, have no choice but topurchase separate cleaning equipment suitable for the different types ofsurfaces they encounter. Thus, the lack of a cleaner capable of cleaningvarious surface types of recreational and/or aesthetic water containerscan cause additional expenses in terms of purchasing and maintainingmultiple cleaning devices.

Therefore, there is a need in the art for an adaptable nozzle attachmentthat is capable of providing optimal cleaning for recreational andaesthetic water containers having different surface materials, texturesand/or shapes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The disadvantages heretofore associated with the prior art are overcomeby the present invention of an adaptable nozzle attachment for a poolcleaner. The nozzle is an adjustable attachment to allow a user toselectively attach either brushes and/or rollers to a lower surface ofthe nozzle attachment, based on the type of surface to be cleaned.

The adjustable nozzle attachment includes a planar member having anupper surface and a lower surface. An orifice is formed through theplanar member, and is adapted for coupling to a vacuum suction source. Aplurality of attaching means are formed on the lower surface of theplanar member.

In one embodiment, each attaching means is adapted to interchangeablyreceive a roller or a brush at a common location of the lower surface.Alternatively, the attaching means permits selective removal andfastening of the rollers and brushes at different locations along thelower surface. In this embodiment, each attachment means is dedicated toselectively receive either a roller or a brush. In either embodiment,the user can illustratively remove a brush and install a roller (or viceversa) based on the type of surface to be cleaned.

In one preferred embodiment, the attachment means are recesses intowhich the brushes and/or rollers are received. Other means of attachmentinclude magnets, hook-and-loop fasteners, frictional or locking slidefittings, threaded members, and other mechanical fastening means knownto the art.

The configuration of the attaching means, when combined with theplurality of rollers and brushes, permits a user to adjust the overallflexibility of the nozzle attachment to accommodate the type of surfacebeing cleaned. Thus, the ability to interchange the rollers and brushes,and thereby adapt the flexibility of the nozzle attachment, provides amore efficient and effective nozzle attachment to clean the varioussurfaces of a recreational and/or aesthetic water container (e.g., pond,hot tub, pool, among others).

The invention also minimizes the cost to the manufacturer of arecreational and/or aesthetic water container by providing a singlevacuum attachment head along with a plurality of brushes and rollersthat the purchaser/user can install, based on the surface to be cleaned.

The ability to convert the attachment of the invention is alsoparticularly attractive to purchasers who have two or more recreationaland/or aesthetic water containers (e.g., pools and/or spas), who will beable to remove the brushes and install the rollers (or vice versa) tochange the flexible and performance characteristics of the vacuumcleaning/pick-up attachment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The teachings of the present invention can be readily understood byconsidering the following detailed description in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates one mode of operating a pool cleaner in accordancewith one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 depicts an enlarged side elevational view of the pool cleanerillustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top perspective view of one embodiment of a nozzleattachment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a bottom perspective view of the nozzle attachment of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a top perspective view of another embodiment of a nozzleattachment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the nozzle attachment of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is a bottom view of yet another embodiment of a nozzle attachmentof the present invention.

To facilitate understanding, the same reference numerals have been used,when appropriate, to designate the same or similar elements that arecommon to the figures. Further, unless stated otherwise, the drawingsshown and discussed in the figures are not drawn to scale, but are shownfor illustrative purposes only.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides various embodiments of an adaptablenozzle attachment suitable for cleaning various textured underwatersurfaces. The nozzle attachment is suitable for cleaning a variety ofswimming pool surfaces, such as flexible vinyl liners, gunite, and tile,among other textured and non-textured surfaces. It is noted that thepool cleaner can also be used for cleaning other vessels containingwater, such as spas, hot tubs, ornamental outdoor ponds, among otherrecreational and aesthetic water containers.

The present invention is generally discussed in terms of a “nozzleattachment.” However, the present invention is applicable to any othernozzle head, suction head, face plate, vacuum head, or other projectingcomponent with an opening for regulating and directing a flow of fluidwhile illustratively cleaning a surface of a vessel, such as a swimmingpool.

In one embodiment of the invention, an adjustable nozzle attachmentincludes a planar member having an upper surface and a lower surfacewith an orifice formed there through the upper and lower surfaces ofsaid planar member. The orifice is adapted for coupling to a vacuumsource, such as an underwater vacuum cleaner. A plurality of attachingmeans are formed at the lower surface of the planar member, where eachattaching means is adapted to interchangeably receive at least one of aplurality of rollers and a plurality of brushes.

In one embodiment, the planar member is manufactured from a flexiblematerial, such as a synthetic polymer, natural or synthetic rubber, orother suitable flexible materials. The flexibility of the planar membercan be selectively controlled by the type and user placement of rollersand/or brushes that are coupled to the attachment means. For example,rollers can be selectively interchanged and attached to the lowersurface of the nozzle attachment for use with swimming pools having agunite surface material. In this instance, the planar membersubstantially retains its flexible characteristics and can follow thecontours of the pool surface area being cleaned. That is, the flexibleplanar member will substantially assume the radius of curvaturetypically found in gunite pools.

Alternatively, brushes may be interchangeably attached to the lowersurface of the nozzle attachment for use with swimming pools having avinyl liner. In this instance, the planar member becomes semi-rigid,thereby allowing greater sweeping and removal of matter from thesemi-flexible vinyl surface of the pool liner.

FIG. 1 illustrates one mode of operating a pool cleaner 10 in accordancewith one embodiment of the present invention. The pool cleaner 10 iscapable of suctioning matter, such as water and particulate solidmaterial including debris of a relatively large size (e.g., insects,leaves, small twigs) from the surfaces to be cleaned. The pool cleaner10 includes body 16, a nozzle attachment 36, a filter, and one or aplurality of discharge ports for expelling the filtered water.

In one embodiment, the pool cleaner 10 can be a battery-powered poolcleaner, as shown and described in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No.6,797,157 to Erlich, the contents of which is incorporated by referencein its entirety. However, one skilled in the art will appreciate thatthe pool cleaner 10 may include any vacuum source (e.g., a pump) forproviding suction to remove matter from an underwater environment. Forexample, the vacuum source (e.g., body) of the pool cleaner 10 may bepositioned externally from the swimming pool, such that a connectinghose is utilized between the nozzle attachment 36 and body 16.

In a first mode of operation shown in FIG. 1, the pool cleaner 10 isattachable to a pole 12, which allows the user to clean the poolsurfaces while standing outside the pool. In a second, hand-held mode ofoperation, the pool cleaner 10 includes an integral handle 14 (see FIG.2), allowing the user immersed with the pool cleaner 10 in the pool tograsp and orient the pool cleaner 10 and so to manipulate the poolcleaner 10 over the surfaces of the pool.

FIG. 2 depicts a side elevational view of the pool cleaner 10illustrated in FIG. 1. The embodiment of the pool cleaner shown in FIG.2 includes a body 16 that is submersible. The body 16 can be composed ofmolded plastic with an ergonomical and streamlined shape, e.g., a smoothand curvilinear surface providing low resistance in the water.

The body 16 of the pool cleaner 10 includes a projecting handle 14. Inone embodiment, the handle is integrally formed from the molded plasticto allow the pool cleaner 10 to be hand-held and to be easily carriedand manipulated. The body 16 can include hollow sections (not show n)that fill with water during immersion, so the pool cleaner 10 is notbuoyant after full immersion. The pool cleaner 10 configured to be ofessentially neutral buoyancy so that it can be manipulated underwaterwith relative ease, as well as in any orientation along any horizontal,vertical or curved surface that is being cleaned.

A pole attachment member 20 extends from the body 16, allowing theextended pole 12 to be securely, but removably attached to the poolcleaner 10 for use in the first mode of operation shown in FIG. 1. Thepole 12 can be attached to the pole attachment member 20 by any knownfastening devices, such as removable screws with correspondingapertures. Alternatively, the pool attachment member 20 can includespring-loaded buttons and detents 22, such as shown in FIG. 2, or othercurved surfaces for removably attaching the pole 12 in a friction fit.

A plurality of water discharge ports or apertures 24 are present in thebody 16 to allow filtered water to be returned to the pool, and forallowing water to flow into and out of the hollow portions. In apreferred embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, the water discharge ports 24are symmetrically oriented to expel the filtered water in a directiongenerally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 56 of the poleattachment member 20. The symmetrical orientation of the water dischargeports 24 helps prevent water jet pressure of the expelled water thatexits from any single water expulsion port 24 from causing the poolcleaner 10 to move in an unintended direction. Accordingly, the poolcleaner 10 is easy to manipulate when in use, and responds primarily tothe movement determined by the user by use of the handle 14 or the pole12 when attached to the pole attachment member 20.

A filter housing 26 is mounted to the fore of the body 16 foraccumulating the debris suctioned into the pool cleaner 10 by the nozzleattachment 36. In a preferred embodiment, the filter housing 26 iscomposed of transparent plastic, allowing the user to see the amount ofdebris suctioned and the remaining capacity of the filter housing 26 andthereby to determine the need for emptying the accumulated debris.

As also shown in FIG. 2, the filter housing 26 can be attached to thebody 16 by a latch-and-hinge arrangement. The filter housing 26accommodates at least one filter 40 for trapping undesirable matter,such as debris. A releasable latch 28 fits into a latch aperture 30,allowing the filter housing 26 to pivot away from the body 16 about ahinge 32 to permit emptying of debris from the filter housing 26. In oneembodiment, the hinge 32 permanently affixes the filter housing 26 tothe body 16 in a pivoting configuration. In another embodiment, thehinge can be a removable hinge, engaging a complementary hinge member(not shown) on the filter housing 26, in which the filter housing 26 iscapable of being detached from the hinge 32 after being pivoted to apredetermined angle. Alternatively, at least two spring clips or othertype fasteners that engage the other member can be provided to allowcomplete detachment of the filter housing 26 from the body 16. In thislatter embodiment, the filter can advantageously be joined to a two-waysealing member that is positioned between and engages both the filterhousing 26 and body 16 to form a watertight seal between them.

In one embodiment, an impeller (not shown) is provided in the body 16 ofthe pool cleaner. The impeller, when rotating, causes the filtered waterto be drawn into the nozzle attachment, pass through the filter bag andbe forced out of the water discharge ports 24. Further, the filterhousing 26 can be conical in shape, such that while the impeller isrotating, the conical filter housing facilitates the formation of avortex, which draws the water through the filter housing 26 and outthrough the water discharge ports 24. Further, the vortex also forcesthe debris against the bottom portion of the filter, such that thedebris is first compacted at the bottom or downstream end of the filter,thereby allowing more debris to be retained in the filter between filtercleanings.

The nozzle attachment 36 of the present invention includes an orifice 42that is adapted for coupling to the filter housing 26. In oneembodiment, a conduit element 38, such as a hose, bellows cover, amongother flexible tubular conduit elements, is coupled to the nozzleattachment 36 over the orifice 42. Alternatively, the conduit element 38can be a semi rigid tube or the like. The conduit element 38 can beformed of molded polymeric material, and optionally provided with wirereinforcement. In particular, a first end of the conduit element 38circumscribes and is attached over the orifice 42, while a second end ofthe conduit element 38 is similarly coupled over an orifice 44 formed inthe filter housing 26. The conduit element 38 forms a watertight seal atits points of attachment to the nozzle attachment 36 and housing 26. Assuch, water and solid material may be pumped through the orifice 42formed in the nozzle attachment 36, through the conduit element 38, andinto the filter housing 26, where the filter 40 traps the solidmaterial, and the water discharge ports 24 expel the filtered water.Further, the flexible conduit element 38 permits the pool cleaner 10 tobe easily manipulated over and around curved surfaces in the pool.

Although the conduit element 38 is illustratively shown in FIG. 2 as aflexible hose that is relatively short in length, such that the nozzleattachment 36 is positioned proximate the body 16 of the pool cleaner10, one skilled in the art will appreciate that longer lengths offlexible hosing may also be utilized as a conduit element 38. Forexample, there may be instances where it is desirable to clean hard toclean surfaces that have numerous corners and edges, such as steps in ashallow end of a pool or hot tub. A person cleaning the steps may findit preferable to hold the nozzle attachment 36 by hand to direct thecleaning, as opposed to holding the handle 14 on the body 16 of the poolcleaner 10. A flexible “extension” hose serves as an extension from thebody 16 to the nozzle 36 to allow the cleaning person to move the nozzleattachment 36 by hand along the difficult to clean surfaces, while thenegative buoyancy of the body 16 keeps the body 16 submerged andoperative at another location in the water container.

Alternatively, a pole attachment may be coupled either to the nozzleattachment 36 or the end of the hose extension proximate the nozzleattachment 36, to allow a cleaning person to clean any difficult toreach surfaces (e.g., a deep end) of the aesthetic or recreational watercontainer. Thus, the flexible extension hose advantageously accommodatescleaning by hand or with an extension pole for those difficult surfacesrequiring extra attention.

FIG. 3 is a top perspective view of one embodiment of a nozzleattachment 36 of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a bottom perspectiveview of the nozzle attachment 36 of FIG. 3, and should be viewed inconjunction with FIG. 3.

The nozzle attachments 36 described herein comprises a planar member 300having an upper surface 302, a lower surface 304, and the orifice 42formed there through. In one embodiment, the nozzle attachment 36 isfabricated from a flexible material, such as a synthetic polymer,natural or synthetic rubber, among other water impermeable flexiblematerials.

The shape of the planar member 300 may be circular, oval, semi-circular,polygonal (e.g., triangle, square, rectangular, pentagon, hexagon,octagon, among other multi-side shapes), elliptical, wing shaped, or anyother shape or combination thereof suitable for interfacing with thecontours of the pool surface and directing liquid (e.g., water) andsolid matter (e.g., debris) into the pool clearier 10. In theillustrative embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the nozzle attachment 36is substantially rectangular in shape having the orifice 42 formedapproximately in the center of the planar member 300.

Referring to FIG. 3, a nozzle adapter 310 is coupled over the orifice 42on the upper surface 302 of the planar member 300 and forms a sealagainst the upper surface 302. In one embodiment, the nozzle adapter 310may be stationary with respect to the upper surface 302. Alternatively,and as shown in FIG. 3, the nozzle adapter 310 is hinged to aconventional nozzle pivot interface or turret 312 to allow movement withrespect to the upper surface 302, such as along horizontal axis A-A. Amovable nozzle adapter 310 may be preferable to provide greater surfacecontact and enable greater reach by the user, as well as reduceundesirable stresses on the conduit 38, as conventionally known in theart.

The nozzle adapter 310 is adapted for coupling to the conduit 38 (e.g.,a hose) as discussed above. In one embodiment, the conduit 38 is formfitted around the nozzle adapter 310. For example, the conduit 38 andthe nozzle adapter 310 can be circular in shape, and the nozzle adapter310 includes a protrusion or flange 314 extending outward to provideadditional contact area as the end of the conduit 38 is fitted over thenozzle adapter 310. In this embodiment, frictional forces secure thenozzle attachment 36 to the conduit 38. Alternatively, the nozzleadapter 310 and the end of the conduit 38 may include one or morefasteners, such as a latch and hook, a screw, or any other conventionalfastener capable of securing the conduit 38 to the nozzle adapter 310without leakage of fluid there between.

In one embodiment, a plurality of attachment means, illustrativelyattachment means 320, through 320n (collectively attachment means 320,where n is an integer greater than one) are formed on the lower surface304 of the planar member 300. The attachment means 320 are sized toreceive a brush 350 and/or roller 360, which the user caninterchangeably install. The attachment means can be any suitable devicefor selectively attaching the brushes and/or rollers to the lowersurface of the planar member 300. For example, the attachment means 320can be any fastener, such as a clip, snap, clamp, hook-and-loop, latch,pin, screw, rotating/slide locking pins/plates, as well as magneticattachments, strapping (e.g., VELCRO straps), among other conventionalmounting and fastening devices, or any combination thereof.

User selection of the brushes 350 and/or rollers 360 to be installed isbased on the surface type of the pool. For example, FIG. 3illustratively shows brushes 350 installed on the lower surface 304 ofthe planar member 300. Further, FIG. 4 illustratively shows how thebrushes 350 and/or rollers 360 are installed.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 the attachment means 320 illustrativelycomprises a plurality of recesses 322 ₁ through 322 _(n) (collectivelyrecesses 322, where n is an integer greater than 1) formed in the lowersurface 304 of the planner member 300. Each recess 322 is sized toreceive a respective brush 350 or roller 360. For example, the recesses322 are illustratively shown as being rectangular in shape toaccommodate the brushes 350, which comprise a rectangular brush head 352to retain a plurality of bristles 354. However, one skilled in the artwill appreciate that such rectangular shape is not to be considered asbeing limiting, and that other indentations or cutouts (e.g., one ormore bores or channels) can be alternatively provided in the planarmember to secure the rollers and/or brushes.

In one embodiment, one or more detents (not shown) may be formed in eachrecess to position and hold the brush or roller, such that the brush orroller can be released by applying an external force to one of theparts. As shown in FIG. 3, the recesses 322 are aligned in a directionalong the length of the planar member 300, which is illustrativelyperpendicular to the direction that the user pushes the nozzleattachment 36.

In one embodiment, the recesses 322 extend a distance to allow thesidewalls of the recesses to retain the brush heads 352. In anotherembodiment, the recesses may extend through the upper surface 302 toform respective orifices that are sized to retain the brush heads 352.Alternatively, the recesses 322 can extend beyond above the uppersurface 302 of the planar member 302, into corresponding projectingelements 330. The projecting elements 330 are provided over the recesses332 to retain the inserts (i.e., brush heads 352 and or roller 360). Forexample, the projecting element 332 ₁ is formed over recess 322 ₁, theprojecting element 330 ₂ is formed over recess 320 ₂, and so forth. Theprojecting elements 330 are sized to receive and cover the brush heads352. The recess/projecting element pairs 322 and 330 are illustrativelyformed proximately the perimeter of the planar member 300 to direct anydebris swept by the brushes 350 towards the nozzle adapter 310, whichfacilitates the suctioning of water and debris from the pool surface.

In one embodiment, a portion of the recesses 322 can each include awheel well 332. For example, wheel wells 332 ₁ through 332 _(p) (where pis an integer greater than one) are illustratively shown formedcoincidently with recesses 330 ₁, 330 ₃, 330 ₄, and 330 _(n),respectively. In one embodiment, the wheel wells 330 are formedcentrally and perpendicular to the rectangular recesses 322, althoughother arrangements are also possible.

As shown in FIG. 4, the illustrative rollers 360 comprise a rollermember, such as a wheel 364, and an axle 366 extending through a centralhub of the wheel 364, as conventionally known in the art. A pair ofrectangular shaped axle aligners 362 coaxially circumscribes a portionof the axle 366 on each side of the wheel 364. The pair of axle aligners362 is sized to secure the wheel 364 and axle 366 into the recesses 322,such that the wheel wells 332 cover an upper portion of the wheel 364from the perspective of the upper surface 302 of the planar member 300.The wheel wells 330 are sized to allow the wheels 364 to rotateperpendicularly about the axles 366 without being impeded.

The embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 allow a user to interchangeablysecure the brushes 350 and/or rollers 360 in the planar member 300. Oneskilled in the art will appreciate that the size and number of brushes350 and/or rollers 360 are a matter of design choice, and theillustrative embodiments shown herein are not to be considered aslimiting. Accordingly, when a substantially smooth or non-textured poolsurface requires cleaning, such as a vinyl liner surface, the brushes350 are inserted into the recesses 322. Alternatively, when a texturedpool surface requires cleaning, such as a gunite surface, the brushes350 are removed and the rollers 360 can be inserted into the recesses322. Further, a combination of rollers 360 and brushes 350 canoptionally be inserted in the recesses 322 of the nozzle attachment 36,illustratively, for cleaning tiled surfaces.

FIGS. 5 and 6 are a top and bottom view of another embodiment of anozzle attachment 36 of the present invention. The embodiment of FIGS. 5and 6 differs from the embodiment of FIGS. 3 and 4 by having a differentshape, arrangement of the brushes 350 and rollers 360, as well as byhaving distinct wheel wells that are apart-from the recesses.

The nozzle attachment 36 comprises a planar member 500 fabricated from aflexible material or materials, as described above. The planar member500 is illustratively formed in a substantially triangular shape, and asillustratively shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, is formed as a pair of adjacentaircraft wings or a manta ray. However, the shape of the planar member500 should not be considered as being limiting.

Referring to FIG. 6, the attachment means 520 may be any type ofattachment means, as described above with respect to the embodiment ofFIGS. 3 and 4. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the attachment means 520comprise recesses 522 and wheel wells 532, which are illustrativelyformed separate and apart from each other. In one embodiment, therecesses 522 are formed in a pattern such that one end of a rectangularrecess is directed towards the orifice 42, while the opposing end of therecess is directed towards the perimeter of the planar member 500. Asdiscussed above with respect to FIGS. 3 and 4, the recesses retain thebrushes 350, and the pattern of the recesses 522 facilitates directingmatter that is swept by the brushes 350 to the centralized nozzleorifice 42. The brushes 350 preferably contact the entire surface areabeneath the planar member 500 as it moves across the bottom or sidewallof the pool.

In one embodiment, the recesses 522 may extend through the lower surface504 and upper surface 502 to form an aperture (not shown), which issized to secure the brushes 350 against the sidewalls of the aperture.Alternatively, and as shown in FIG. 5, corresponding projecting elementportions 532 may be provided on the upper surface 502 over the recesses522 in a similar manner as described with respect to the embodiment ofFIGS. 3 and 4.

The nozzle attachment 36 illustratively includes wheel wells 532,through 532 _(s) (collectively wheel wells 532, where s is an integergreater than one) formed proximate the perimeter of the planar member500. In the embodiment of FIGS. 5 and 6, a first wheel well 532 ₁ isformed proximate the apex 508 of the planar member 500, wheel wells 532₃ and 532 ₄ are formed near the rear 506 of the planar member 500, andwheel wells 532 ₂ and 532 _(s) are formed on the extremities (e.g.,wings) of the planar member 500. The illustrative wheel wells 532 areformed by a second plurality of recesses extending through the lowersurface 504 of the planar member 500. Each wheel well 532 illustrativelyincludes an upper portion 534 formed on the upper surface 502 to coveran upper portion of the wheel 560. The wheel wells 532 are aligned in acommon direction, such as along line B—B extending from the center ofthe rear portion 306 to the apex 308 of the planar member. One skilledin the art will appreciate that the upper portions 534 of the wheelwells are optional, and alternatively, a wheel well aperture (not shown)can be formed through the planar member 500 instead. In eitherembodiment, each wheel well 532 further includes a pair of perpendicularcutouts 536, which is sized to receive a roller 560.

For example, roller 560 can include a wheel portion 564 and an axleportion 566 extending perpendicular through the center of the wheel 564via a central hub. The axle 566 extends outward on each side of thewheel 564. The axle 566 of the roller 560 can be inserted into thecutout portion 536, and the wheel well 532 is sized greater than thesize of the wheel 564 to allow clearance for the wheel 564 to rotateunimpeded about its axle 566. The roller 560 can be molded as a singlepiece or formed as an assembly of component parts.

The embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 allow a user to interchange thebrushes 350 and/or rollers 560 into and out of the planar member 500.One skilled in the art will appreciate that the size, shape, and numberof brushes 350 and/or rollers 560 are a matter of design choice, and theillustrative embodiments shown herein are not to be considered aslimiting. Accordingly, when a pool having a non-textured surfacerequires cleaning, such as a vinyl surface, the brushes 350 may beinserted into the recesses 522. Alternatively, when a textured poolsurface requires cleaning, such as a gunite surface, the rollers 560 maybe inserted into the recesses 522. Further, a combination of rollers 560and brushes 350 can be inserted in the recesses 522 of the nozzleattachment 36, illustratively for cleaning tiled surfaces.

FIG. 7 is a bottom view of yet another embodiment of a nozzle attachment36 of the present invention. The nozzle attachment 36 includes a planarmember 700 that is illustratively semi-circular in shape, and has acentrally located orifice 42 formed therein for coupling to the nozzleadapter (not shown). FIG. 7 depicts a bottom surface 704 of the planarmember 700.

A plurality of recesses 722 ₁ through 722 _(u) (collectively recesses722, where u is an integer greater than one) are formed proximately theperimeter of the planar member 700. For example, three substantiallyrectangular recesses 722 ₃ through 722 _(s) can be axially alignedproximate a straight edge 706 of the planar member 700. A fourth recess722 ₁ is formed along the central axis at the apex 708 of thesemi-circle, which is perpendicular to the straight edge 706. At leasttwo additional recesses 722 ₂ and 722 _(u) are formed between thestraight edge 706 and apex 708. The at least two additional rectangularrecesses 722 ₂ and 722 _(u) are illustratively formed in a directionextending from the central orifice 42 towards perimeter of thesemi-circular portion of the planar member 700.

At least three of the substantially rectangular recesses 722 include awheel well portion 734 sized to receive a portion of a roller, such asthe roller 360 shown and described with respect to the embodiment ofFIGS. 3 and 4. For example, the recess 722 formed at the apex 708 of theplanar member 700 includes a wheel well 7341, and the three recesses 722₃ through 733 ₅ respectively include wheel wells 734 ₂ through 734 _(w)(where w is an integer greater than one).

One skilled in the art will appreciate that the nozzle attachment 36 canbe formed in any shape suitable for either rolling over or sweeping asurface of a swimming pool. In each of the illustrative embodimentsshown, the recesses are sized to allow the interchangeable rollers andbrushes to be easily removed and replaced by the other. Additionally,the wheel wells are aligned to accommodate the rollers, so that the usercan easily move the nozzle attachment 36 either forwards or backwardsalong a line of direction.

Although the recesses and brushes are illustratively shown as beingsubstantially rectangular in shape, other shapes can be provided aswell. For example, curved shaped recesses and respective brushes may beutilized to direct debris into the central orifice 42. Further, thebrush heads 352 can be fabricated from a flexible, semi-flexible orrigid material, such as plastic, to facilitate a desired stiffness orflexibility of the planar member. That is, when the brushes 350 areinserted into the recesses, the planar member of the nozzle attachment36 may lose some of its flexibility, depending on the stiffness of thebrush heads 352 being inserted therein. In many applications, such ascleaning a vinyl pool surface, it may be desirable to have a stifferbrush head to decrease the flexibility of the planar member.Alternatively, when cleaning a tile surface, it may be desirable toutilize a more flexible brush in the nozzle attachment 36. It is notedthat all materials of construction are selected for resistance to thechemicals commonly used in maintaining water quality, cleaningcompounds, and the ultra violet rays of the sun.

One skilled in the art will appreciate that a similar analysis alsoapplies to the rollers, such as the rollers 360 shown in FIGS. 4 and 7.For those embodiments, the flexibility of the axle aligners 362 mayvary, depending on the surface to be cleaned by the nozzle attachment36.

Further, although the brushes and rollers have been shown and describedin the various embodiments as being attached to the planar member of thenozzle attachment via recess formed therein, such attachment means isnot to be considered as being limiting. For example, the brushes androllers can be attached by fasteners, such as clips, mating snaps,and/or other conventional fasteners known in the art.

As such, the present invention provides a nozzle attachment 36 thatincludes removable and/or interchangeable brushes and rollers. Further,the user is able to adjust the flexibility of the nozzle attachment 36by installing brushes and/or rollers producing differing stiffnesscharacteristics in the normally flexible planar member, depending on thetype of surface area (e.g., gunite, vinyl, tile, among others) to becleaned. As such, the user (e.g., as a professional pool cleaningservice), can purchase a single pool cleaning device suitable formultiple types of surfaces, as opposed to having to purchase specializedvacuum cleaning heads for different types of surfaces.

Although various embodiments that incorporate the teachings of thepresent invention have been shown and described in detail herein, thoseskilled in the art can readily devise many other varied embodiments thatstill incorporate these teachings.

1. An adjustable nozzle attachment comprising a flexible planar memberhaving an upper surface and a lower surface; an orifice formed throughthe planar member and adapted for coupling to a vacuum suction source;and a plurality of attaching means formed at said lower surface, eachattaching means adapted to interchangeably receive at least one of aroller assembly and a brush support, said roller assembly and brushsupport being of substantially rigid construction.
 2. The nozzleattachment of claim 1, wherein at least a first portion of saidplurality of attachment means are formed proximate a perimeter of saidplanar member.
 3. The nozzle attachment of claim 2, wherein a secondportion of said plurality of attachment means are arranged in a patternsuitable for directing matter towards said orifice as the planar memberis advanced over a surface being cleaned.
 4. The nozzle attachment ofclaim 1, wherein said orifice is positioned at a centralized location onsaid nozzle attachment, and said second portion of said plurality ofattachment means encompass at least a portion of said orifice.
 5. Thenozzle attachment of claim 2, wherein each of said first portion ofattachment means is sized to interchangeably receive a respective rollerorientated in a common direction.
 6. The nozzle attachment of claim 5,wherein each of said first portion of attachment means is sized tointerchangeably receive a brush.
 7. The nozzle attachment of claim 5,wherein said planar member retains substantial flexibility while saidrollers are coupled to said first portion of attachment means.
 8. Thenozzle attachment of claim 6, wherein said planar member retainssubstantial flexibility while said brushes are coupled to said firstportion of attachment means.
 9. The nozzle attachment of claim 6,wherein said planar member becomes substantially inflexible while saidbrushes are coupled to said first portion of attachment means.
 10. Thenozzle attachment of claim 3, wherein each of said second portion ofattachment means is sized to receive a brush.
 11. The nozzle attachmentof claim 10, wherein said planar member retains substantial flexibilitywhile said brushes are coupled to said second portion of attachmentmeans.
 12. The nozzle attachment of claim 10, wherein said planar memberbecomes substantially inflexible while said brushes are coupled to saidfirst portion of attachment means.
 13. The nozzle attachment of claim 1further comprising a nozzle adapter coupled to the upper surface andover said orifice.
 14. The nozzle attachment of claim 1, wherein saidplanar member is formed from a flexible material selected from at leastone of a synthetic polymer, natural rubber, and synthetic rubber. 15.The nozzle attachment of claim 1, wherein each attachment meanscomprises a recess formed in the lower surface of the planar member. 16.The nozzle attachment of claim 15, wherein said recess is substantiallyrectangular in shape.
 17. The nozzle attachment of claim 15, wherein atleast a portion of said attachment means further comprises a wheel well.18. The nozzle attachment of claim 15, wherein each attachment meansfurther comprises a projecting element formed over each recess.
 19. Thenozzle attachment of claim 1, wherein said plurality of attachment meanscomprises a plurality of apertures, wherein each aperture is sized toreceive said at least one of a roller and a brush.
 20. The nozzleattachment of claim 1, wherein the planar member comprises a shapeincluding at least one of a rectangle, polygon, circle, semi-circle,oval, ellipse, triangle, wing, and combinations thereof.